Spurt shield for can openers



Jan. 13, 1959 c. ATHANINGTON I I 2,857,900

SPURT SHIELD F/R CAN OPENERS Filed Aug. 2, 1957 nite States 2,867,90t Patented Jan. 13 1959 [ice SPURT SHIELD FOR CAN OPENERS Charles A. Harrington, Freeport, N. Y.

Application August 2, 1957, Serial No. 676,022

3 Claims. (CI. 30-16) This invention relates to shields and in particular to one adapted for use in connection with a can opening implement. I

In the opening of cans containing gaseous fluids such as soda or beer, where the contents are not fully chilled or is agitated by handling prior to opening, the contents squirt at the initial puncture point and very often gets on the apparel of the person opening the can, or if covered by the hand while opening requires wiping of the hand afterwards. Occasionally the pressure is so great that the squirt reaches the ceiling or falls on surrounding objects necessitating a clean up job.

In order to overcome this condition, it is an object of my invention to provide a simple device to be attached to or become a part of the common well known beer can opener to retain or smother the spurt of beer or other fluid.

Further objects of the invention are to provide various forms of the spurt arresting device which may be detachably secured to the can opener or can be riveted, welded or otherwise mounted thereon; to provide a guard that can be of cup, oval or fiat shape; can be used as an advertising medium and which can be made of plastic, thin metal, paper card or any other suitable material; and one which can be made simple of construction and at minimum cost.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show plan, side and perspective views respectively, of a spurt shield constructed in accordance with my invention and as applied to a can opener;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show plan and side views of cup, oval and fiat shaped shields as applied to a can opener;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show perspective, side and bottom views respectively of a clip-on shield for use with a can opener;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show side, bottom and top views, respectively, of a hinged type shield as applied to a can opener, and

Figs. 13 and 14 show the action of the shield in preventing squirting of the contents of a can as the same is initially punctured and fully cut by the opener.

Referring to the drawing in detail, shows a can opener of the usual well known type shaped and bent to provide a triangular cutting nose 11 and a bead hook 13 punched out of the opener to provide a hole adjacent the bent portion providing a fulcrum for the action of the opener. To the end of the opener is riveted as at 14 a hollow shaped shield 15 whose shank 16 is tempered to fit closely the shape of the can opener and positioned so that the center of the shield thereof overlies the piercing point 17 of the opener so that, as shown in Fig. 13, the spurt of the contents of the can at initial puncture im pinges against the under side of the shield and squirting is blocked.

In the form of the shield 18 shown in Fig. 4, the shank 19 is secured as at 20 to the can opener 10 and is shaped to conform closely to the cross-sectional shape of the latter and tempered to lie yieldably thereagainst. The end of the shield is of, cup shape as -at--21, or may be'substantially oval shape 22 as shown in Fig. 5 and may be flat as at 23 as illustrated in Fig. 6. The shields 24 and 25 may be secured in any suitable manner as above noted, so the can opener and the rivet fastener 20 is intended to stand for any form of securing means such as welding or the like. The outer end of the shield 25 may be square or round and the oval end 22 of the shield 24 furnishes a guard means at the side of the shield to prevent any sidewise squirting action.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the shield 26 is a separate unit that is provided with bent over hooks or side ears 27 at one end and can be slid over the can opener 10 until the spring tab 28, which biases the cupped end 31 of the shield against the cutting nose, punched out of the shank 29 of the shield 26, passes through the slot or opening left by the punched out bead hook 13 of the can opener to be seated in the underside of the bent portion of the can opener as shown in Figure 8. The shape of the cupped end 31 of the shield 26 may be of any form desired, as above referred to. The material from which any of the shields may be made is metal, plastic or any material that will suit the purpose, may bear advertising indicia as illustrated in Fig. l, and be shaped or otherwise formed to flexibly fit and operate with the can opener as shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 10, l1 and 12 one end of the shield 32 is provided with pivot hooks or ears 33 which engage in notches 34 formed in the sides of the can opener 35 so that the shield is hinged to the opener for self seating engagement with the surface of the can but is limited in its upward flexing action by the turned under ends 36 of the hooks 33.

It is evident that any of the forms of the shield may have features of the other forms, for instance, the spring tab 28 may be used as desired as well as the hinge structure. While there is above described several particular embodiments of my invention, it is possible to produce other forms without departure from the inventive concept above disclosed and it is therefore desired that only such limitations shall be imposed on the appended claims as are stated therein, or required by the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spurt shield, adapted to be mounted on a can opener having a body bent and shaped to provide a sharp end for piercing the top of a can and a portion punched out of said body adjacent said bend to provide an opening and a can bead engaging hook constituting a fulcrum for the opener, said shield comprising a shank portion of flexible material, hook means for securing said shank portion to the opener, a cupped end on said shank portion dimensioned to overlie said sharp end of the opener and a can opening made thereby, and means engaging the opener for resisting the upward flexing movement of said cupped end with respect to the piercing end of said opener.

2. A spurt shield as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for yieldably resisting the movement of the cupped end includes a tongue struck out of the shank portion of said shield for passage through the opening in the body of the can opener and for separable engagement with the underside of the bend adjacent said opening.

3. A spurt shield as set forth in claim 1 in which said shank securing means includes turned over ears on the opposite sides of the shank for sliding engagement with the side edges of the opener and a spring tongue struck out of said shank for passage through the opening in the can Opener, and epa'rabl seating engagement in the underside of said bend.

References Cited the file of this patent UNIT-ED STATES PATENTS Cross Apr. 20, 1937 1T4 Kusnarowis June 1, 1937 Eberts Aug. 19, 1941 Maihack Apr. 21, 1942 Waterhouse Apr. 20, 1954 Middleton Jan. 1, 1957 

